A version of this post appeared on the LeadSquared Blog as “Elements in your customer acquisition process“. It has been reproduced with everybody’s permission.
I am your quintessential millennial. I tweet about my likes and dislikes; I rant about brands that disappointed me (or even made me happy) on social media; I blog; I search online for opinions before making a purchase decision and most importantly, the traditional system of customer acquisition does not work for me!. Unfortunately for you, the audience you cater to are now a lot like me. One small mis-step and you are splashed across social media – for all the wrong reasons. Ouch!
Oh, but you already know this. That is why digital marketing, content marketing, social media marketing are here to stay. The question is, does your customer acquisition process reflect that? What can you tweak to give us a better, more seamless experience?
1.Cohesive lead capture and lead management A.K.A Don’t make us repeat what we said
We sign up through your Fb ad for a demo Or could come directly to your website landing page with our requirements. Regardless, once we have given you our details, we expect you to know us! If, after the first introduction, your sales guy calls us and asks us the same information, we will not be impressed.
Typically, this happens when there is a lag between lead capture and lead management. Excel sheets, manual lead capture system or separate lead capture tools often result in some leads slipping through the net – for they never reach your CRM to be managed. It results in your sales guy not knowing the lead exists for him to follow up or having next to no information about the lead (in spite of it being already provided). Either way, it does not bode well for your business.
Check your lead capture system. If it is combination of manual entries and excel sheets, double check it’s accuracy. If you are using separate lead capture tools and then importing them to your CRM, check if all the data is getting captured. Try to automate this and seamlessly integrate that with your CRM. Every lead lost is now not just a lost opportunity, but also a bad impression of your business.
2.Smart lead prioritization A.K.A Don’t make us wait
We are the generation that want to keep moving. We want the best and we want it now! If we need to buy something, rest assured that we will be contacting not just you – but your competition as well. Get to us first and your chances of converting us increases drastically.
But of all the leads that come in, how will your poor sales guy know which are the ones that he needs to contact right-away? Usually, the oldest lead that comes in gets contacted first. In businesses that use a CRM, the lead with a higher lead score gets the preference. What happens if a new lead that has just arrived has a more pressing requirement and is much more ready to buy than the above two? His lead score will be less and he will probably be contacted a bit later. “Whhoosshh” – that is your chances of closing this deal going through the window.
Tracking the interaction of the lead with the business is the key. Yes, website tracking and lead monitoring. Find out the pages he has visited, what he has downloaded, the videos he has watched and so on. If you are already doing this, see how to utilize it in your sales process. It could mean customizing your sales pitch to his activity so far. It could mean making your marketing emails more relevant. Or, your CRM could translate it to a score (with LeadSquared, it is called engagement score) – a solid metric that shows how interested your lead is.
3.Regular nurturing A.K.A Forget us not
Just because we were not ready to buy at first sight does not mean we are not interested. Something about your offer (product or service) drew us in, tempted us to share our details. But if you forget us, we forget you!
The leads that are not ‘sales-ready’ or have a less score can be ignored by your sales team – but not your business! This is where your marketing team usually pitches in and sends them emails to retain mind share. Unfortunately, the emails either don’t get opened, or are not clicked on. Sometimes, you could even be sending them to the junk folder, without being aware of it.
Unless your emails are relevant, your leads will not open them! To make it targeted, segment your lists and email your leads with content that is most useful to them (you can identify this based on the website tracking details).Send them targeted, relevant emails about your latest offer, or educative content to retain mind-share. Make sure you have opt-in and even double opt-in lists to establish that your leads do indeed want your emails. Use good subject lines and coherent, short emails.
4.Post sales support A.K.A Show us you care
What happens after you make the sale? We could still run into problems with your product and we will come to you for support. How you handle this here will make all the difference between a love or hate social media post.
Post sales support or customer success are not teams very common in all businesses – because well, some just wont need them. Eg. in a spa business or a fitness center, the grievances can be readily handled by the sales person in charge. But, for an e-commerce or even a Saas company so much of the customer experience is defined by what happens after the sale! Does a refund or return happen smoothly? Is the customer support quick? To what lengths do you got to help your customer when he has difficulty with your product? Trust me, these things matter – and they definitely make a difference!
In the end, it all boils down to excellent customer experience throughout the whole journey. Give us a memorable, fond experience and we will come back to you every single time!
So are you ready to sweep your customers off their feet with great customer experience? Let me know how it works for you!
